Of all the things we’re asked here at Lauren’s Hope, what to engrave on a medical ID is one of the most common. In general, we recommend engraving a few essential items:

FIRST NAME, LAST NAME

MEDICAL CONDITION(S)

TREATMENT CONSIDERATION(S)

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER 1

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER 2

However, your medical ID is as unique as you are. You have the opportunity to engrave what serves your needs best, and we’re here to help with that. So if your engraving doesn’t quite fit the typical mold above, that’s ok. Custom engraving gives you the freedom to make sure your medical ID is just right for you.

Choosing a medical ID bracelet or necklace for yourself is a matter of selecting the type and style you like and determining what to engrave. But choosing a medical ID bracelet or necklace for a child is a little bit different. Here are a few tips to help you find the best medical alert bracelet for kids.

We all know that the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday and a few days later comes Cyber Monday. But did you know that the day after that is called Giving Tuesday? That's right! Today is Giving Tuesday, and it's all about giving back. Plus...we're still having GREAT savings just for you!

Medical ID jewelry used to be pretty straightforward. It was metal, plain, and honestly boring or unattractive. When Lauren’s Hope produced the very first stylish, interchangeable medical ID bracelet in 2001, we changed all of that. We gave people high quality, attractive options and turned something people often felt was an unwanted tag or label they had to wear into something beautiful people truly want to wear. The flip side: There are so many options! How is a person to choose!?

Look no further for answers! We’ve got a handy rundown for you of the different types of medical IDs to help you choose the best ID for you.

If you’re asking, then odds are the answer is yes. Wearing medical ID jewelry, particularly when it is custom engraved with your specific information, is a simple daily habit that can make a huge difference in an emergency. If you’re not sure, ask yourself:

Are you at risk of your health condition(s) causing an emergency? For instance, people with Type 1 Diabetes are at risk of having a low blood glucose event, which can cause a variety of symptoms, including (but of course not limited to) disorientation, loss of balance and coordination, and loss of consciousness. Wearing a medical ID bracelet custom engraved with your name, diagnosis, treatment instructions/considerations, and emergency contact information can make a tremendous difference in the outcome of that event. If a first responder knows immediate that s/he is seeing a diabetic emergency, s/he can jump straight to checking glucose numbers and treating you rather than doing detective work to figure out what’s going on. Says Jeremy*, an EMT and Santa Barbara City Fire Department Engineer, “It really speeds up the decision-making process [as we] try to, One: See what the problem is, and, Two: Try to correct it. If it’s something as simple as diabetes, if we give someone sugar, in less than a minute, they can be sitting up and talking to us. But if we don’t know they have diabetes, there’s a longer process to go through [...] One of the most important things is patient history, and any medical problems that are on that bracelet are huge clues [as we’re determining] what’s going on with that person.”

Even before first responders arrive, if a Good Samaritan reads your medical ID to a 911 dispatcher, they can immediately start providing better guidance to those attempting to assist you until medical professionals arrive.

Fifteen years ago, a teenage girl with Type 1 Diabetes inspired the design of the very first stylish, interchangeable medical ID bracelet. That was Lauren. And that first little group of bracelets she received as a gift from her mom’s friend was the beginning of Lauren’s Hope.

Today, we carry hundreds of medical ID jewelry styles for men, women, and kids with all manner of medical conditions all over the world. But in the beginning, we started with Type 1. That’s one of the many reasons why the Type 1 Diabetes community is so dear to us as a team and why giving back to Type 1 organizations nationwide is so core to who we are as a company. As we get into Diabetes Awareness Month, we hope you’ll join us in supporting the Type 1 community, not only today, but all year long.

Although we talk about epilepsy every day here at Lauren’s Hope, November is a time when we do so even more. And to help turn that spotlight on this extremely complex condition that impacts so many of our wonderful customers, today, we’re sharing some basic facts about epilepsy, ideas on how to raise awareness, and a couple of travel notes as we head into the holiday season.

A couple of years ago, my grandmother went through several episodes of falling down and losing consciousness. It was a scary time, and her physician recommended a pacemaker, which was ultimately a great choice for her that helped prevent these episodes from reoccurring. The day of her surgery, a nurse handed my mom a packet with a pacemaker wallet card and the serial number for my grandmother’s pacemaker, and said, “You’re also going to want to order her a pacemaker medical ID bracelet.” Luckily for my mom, she knew just who to call.

I was able to help my grandma pick out a medical ID and advise her on what to have us engrave. And as I did so, I realized that although we do this for our customers daily, I did not personally know all that much about pacemakers and how they work, what care to take, what to watch for, or what heart conditions they help treat. So for all of you who, like me, may not know all there is to know about pacemakers, here’s a handy list of Five Facts About Pacemakers.

There’s nothing quite like late fall when the leaves are on the ground, fireplaces are lit, the air is a little crisp, and pretty much everything comes in pumpkin flavor. Seriously. Everything. I saw pumpkin-flavored Frosted Mini Wheats the other day.

Pumpkin-flavored or otherwise, autumn treats are everywhere, especially when it comes to Halloween parties and trick-or-treating. So let’s dive into our…

Bullying is a big topic in schools and the media alike. In my own little corner of the world, I know my daughter and I have to review and sign her elementary school’s anti-bullying policies and safeguards document every fall, as do all of the other kids and parents. Taking a few minutes to read over this document, discuss what bullying is and how it impacts people, remind kids of the consequences, and talk about constructive ways to help prevent bullying and support other kids is definitely worthwhile in my book. This last time, it actually led to a really interesting conversation with my 9-year-old 4th grader about how she perceives other kids, what she does in social settings when she feels bullied or sees that type of behavior.

The thing is, bullying isn’t only about social behavior and feelings, which are in and of themselves very serious issues. Bullying can be also physically dangerous, and this is highly apparent and concerning when kids have food allergies. According to FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education, Inc.), approximately, “...a third of kids with food allergies report that they have been bullied specifically because of their allergies.” Even worse, sometimes that bullying includes use of the food allergens themselves. FARE’s “It’s Not A Joke,” campaign features two stories from young men who, as kids, were threatened with allergen exposure as a form of bullying.